Imphal, July 26: In a major breakthrough against the proliferation of illegal arms, security forces in Manipur recovered a massive cache of weapons, ammunition, and explosives during a coordinated valley-wide operation carried out across multiple districts early Saturday morning.
According to Inspector General of Police (Zone-II), K. Kabib, the meticulously planned crackdown was launched based on specific intelligence inputs and involved joint efforts by the Manipur Police, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Border Security Force (BSF), and the Army/Assam Rifles. The targeted districts included Imphal East, Imphal West, Thoubal, Kakching, and Bishnupur.
During the course of the operation, security personnel recovered 90 firearms and 728 rounds of assorted ammunition from multiple concealed locations. The seized arms included three AK-series rifles, one M16 rifle, one INSAS light machine gun, five INSAS rifles, four Self-Loading Rifles (SLRs), four .303 rifles, and seven pistols. Additional recoveries comprised 20 carbines, eight rifles, 20 SBBL/Bore action guns, three anti-riot guns, one lathode gun, three double-barrel guns, six bolt-action guns, three two-inch mortars, and one locally fabricated pipe gun.
A substantial quantity of explosives and combat supplies were also seized, including 21 hand grenades, one high-explosive mortar shell, nine tube launchers, six improvised explosive devices (IEDs), 21 assorted magazines, and 24 wireless handsets. Ammunition recovered consisted of 399 rounds of 7.62 mm, 228 rounds of 5.56 mm, 35 rounds of .303, 23 rounds of 9 mm, and six rounds of .32 mm.
Terming the operation a “significant achievement,” the Manipur Police emphasized that the crackdown marks an important step toward neutralizing threats from armed groups and restoring lasting peace in the region. Authorities also appealed to the public for continued cooperation in reporting suspicious activities and sharing information regarding the movement or storage of illegal arms.
